This invention relates in general to motorcycles and, more specifically, to a motorcycle system for protecting a rider in the event of an accident.
Motorcycles are being ridden by increasing numbers of people for a variety of reasons. Many people enjoy riding them for the sense of freedom and control they provide. Motorcycles also provide a relatively inexpensive mode of transportation when compared to automobiles.
More people would ride motorcycles if it were not for fear of injury resulting from collisions with automobiles, running off of slippery roads, etc. Even with helmets and protective clothing, a motorcycle rider is much more likely to be injured in such an accident than is a person in an enclosed automobile.
Attempts have been made to add protective cages to motorcycles, tractors, snowmobiles and the like in which an operator ordinarily rides in an exposed position. Typical of such protective cages are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,473,956, 2,783,056, and 3,704,031. While such cages are of some help in low-speed, roll-over type accidents, they are of little assistance in higher speed, front impact type accidents, since the operator's body is relatively unrestrained (even if wearing a seat belt) and likely to be injured by the cage itself or other vehicle parts due to impact inertial forces acting on his body.
In earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,561 of co-inventor Winiecki, an armored jacket is disclosed for motorcycle riders which aids in protecting the head and body of a rider against injury in an accident. While helpful, this jacket does not protect the rider's arms and legs and does not fully protect against injuries when the rider is ejected from the motorcycle by impact forces.
Even if surrounded by a protective jacket, a rider may be injured when a frontal impact causes his body to be forcefully moved forward against the handlebars, which often carry projecting brake levers and other controls. Simply padding the handlebars, while helpful, is not entirely effective, since the various projecting controls, etc., must be accessible to the rider's hands and cannot be completely covered with padding.
With conventional motorcycles, to achieve reasonable safety in the event of even minor accidents requires that the rider wear a helmet, boots, special protective clothing, heavy gloves, etc. This protective clothing is often uncomfortable, and considerable time is expended in dressing and undressing before and after riding. Also, ordinary clothing must often be carried for use at the destination and the protective clothing must be stored at the destination. Even with front fairings and windshields, the rider is largely exposed to adverse weather, heat, cold, rain, etc. All of this tends to make ordinary motorcycles less convenient than automobiles or other enclosed means of transportation.
Thus, there is a continuing need for improvements in motorcycle construction to protect riders against injuries in collisions or other accidents and to make the motorcycles more comfortable and convenient to ride.